In spite of their young age, this band is well known to Russian audience. Requiem for FM's music doesn't feel too dismal for representatives of dark-scene. Their style finds its place somewhere between synthpop, techno and trance, but their light, dancing sounding is repaid dramatically with gloominess of the lyrics. They are somewhat similar to 'The Smiths', singing easily and without embarrassment about extremely serious things. And as the lyrics of the forerun single had been completely dedicated to the natural cataclysms, man-caused disasters and total pollution of the environment, the band proceeds with their investigations in kRASH. Now, the apocalyptic reality of the world is entangled with the personal communications and relations, emotional torments of a modern man, and man of a future; with realization of limited choices and inevitability of forthcoming requital. Inner conflicts of a hero quite naturally transforms into disasters, common to all mankind, and vice versa.

Band take their work seriously, and it undoubtedly has an effect on musical constituent of the album. Modern musical tendencies are seamlessly combined with the band's own distinctive sounding. Mastering had been provided by Alexander Krasheninnikov - a famous sound producer and mastering engineer, known by his works with legendary Russian bands Technologija and Miraj and also with lots of modern dancing bands.

Pavel "NWO" Gromov (Antisisters), Fedor Svolotch and Yana Veva (Theodor Bastard) took part in vocal recordings, adding their voices to the structure of sound canvas, excellently makes sounding of the album similar to their native bands.

The CD also contains a compact bonus-section that shows how the quality of a single remix by Martin Bowes (Attrition, UK) - the apologist of English and international darkwave and dark-electronics' master - can surpass the possible quantity: Bowes managed to transform vigorous song 'Torn In Two' into a dreamy and a languorous composition.
Author says: "I'd like the song to feel like in a dream - with emerging and fading echoes, short fragments coming to memory!"
Enveloped by dreams, quiet and surprisingly atmospheric remix contrasts to the nimble and lively album it concludes, marking a bold dot... for what? The answer is up to the listener.

REVIEWS:

Our friends over in Russia have a special treat for us on this side of the
Atlantic with this exceptionally impressive release. While Requiem For FM's
history is quite short, they have already released 3 albums including their
first demo, the "Acid Death" E.P., and this excellent album. The background
music is reminiscent of the first Clan Of Xymox release with a singer
resembling that from Apoptygma Berzerk. The album is very emotionally moving
with a perfect selection of beats for any nightclub. A strong release from a
strong band.
Poseidon. Gothic Beauty Magazine #24, 2007, (USA)

Damn these fanciful bands and their absurd spelling of song titles. I have agreed to some of their preferred titles, but implemented rigorous grammatical accuracy in others. It’s like in the 80’s where every angst ridden bunch of intellectuals had more parentheses on their album sleeves that most academics would ever genuinely employ in a lifetime! Not that anybody sensible listens to such records any more.
Now, what to make of Requiem FM, hmmmm? They look like they are half Das Ich, half clay people, with their artistic booklet here showing them caked in grime beneath knobbly hair. Then they sound like A-ha, only cooller, which is perfectly acceptable, and the main word which springs to mind whenever I hear them is nimble. Everything sounds so light, so audaciously flighty and quick, like some woodland nymph cavorting at speed, outdistancing unwieldy humans with ease, although this music is purely electronic of course and essentially lightweight.
As I often like to point out 99% of electro is like receiving an unwanted junk maelstrom. ‘Oooh, look at us,’ shriek the cyber crowd. ‘Emperors’ New Clothes, or what?’ Er, well yes actually, what was your point again? ‘Oooh, we’ll get back to you when we have actually had an original thought!’ And so it goes on, album after excremental album, with whole labels devoted to the disease and audiences in thrall to the debilitating demons of musical diarrhoea in such numbers that it has grown into the pretentious Embarrassing Bowel Movement, or ebm-coli as environmental scientists know it.
Nothing shoddy here though, because this is a divinely fragrant, sweet music. ‘Distorted Sky’ claps itself in, and softly sweeping synth bathes our ears. The vocals are pertly perched in the wings waving coyly and wafting queasy imagery downwind. ‘De:light’ rolls out the bass notes with prancing synth that has sufficient piquant edge to push around us around with unseemly haste. ‘StrangeiDea’ is grimmer pop, with ‘Runner’ offering contrast through being quite laid back, the keys lightening the sauntering apoplexy, then ‘Torn In Two’ remains steadfastly cheerful, as words about horror trot out over a tightly muscled melodic masterpiece.
‘kRASH!’ is wiggly and dark electronic fun, winking brightly despite drab spacey vocal effects, and a grave dignity settles over it quickly. The lubricious ‘Stilldeath’ skips away in gorgeous seclusion, disgracefully enchanting. ‘Send Devil’ potters insanely, with scary lyrics, ‘Soil Refinery’ is actually quite plain, bubbling harmoniously with talk of sensible modern woes folded into the mixture, and the mildly dubby ‘Torn in two (Attrition remix)’ drifts off into the ether which is a modest and strangely unobtrusive ending for what has been a richly diverse and almost deceitful album, although intelligent is a better term. On one level there is froth galore, but in amongst all of the zest are darker thoughts, given a convivial appearance. It really is rather unusual and yet, by means of its modern breeziness, hopelessly addictive.
You have been warned.Mick Mercer

BAND HISTORY:

The history of the band may be not too long but it full of events. In 8 months after its formation the band had a recording on hands, which combined the elements of synthpop, techno, trance and gothic rock. It had been actively sent out to several music and subculture magazines. Fortunately, the title song from demo-recording had been featured in the first part of Russian national dark-scene compilation 'Colours of Black' (aka 'Under the Rays of Midnight Sun'). The song in this compilation looks firmly at its place, even though it's placed among the songs of of Russian schwarze-scene leading figures with several full-time albums each.

But it wasn't the only sharp shot: before the compilation emerged, the song has got several positive appreciations in the national musical press, despite the fact that band's sounding looked slightly archaical at the time.

Year 2004 brought a lot of live performances. Playing their debut live in Voronezh on the presentation of Colours of Black compilation the band played also in St. Petersburg and in Moscow. In October the band managed to play two live in a row - at Voronezh Halloween Party, and then in Moscow at yearly festival Edge of the Night VII. Surely, this had shown an excellent index of audience's interest to the young band.

2005 started with remix on Doppelganger's song 'Winters Misery', which was included in their album as a closing song. Then 1st official release of the band was coming out a little later: a limited edition of the promo-single named ACID.DEATH released by the Shadowplay label. It had been sold out soon, - and highly appreciated by national press and on-line editions. Even now you can hear the songs from it played by Djs at gothic and synthpop parties. Apart from original songs single also contains results of collaborations between Requiem for FM and the bands from Russia, Belorussia and Estonia playing dark- and electro-goth, EBM, trance: Hallucinations for Two, Terra Cadaveris, Forgotten Sunrise, Device.

In 2005 band also played live several times. The most significant was the band's performance at the first-rate national electronic music festival "May Thunder 2: The wind returns!", along with !distain, S.P.O.C.K. and Das Ich, and joint live with the famous German band Diorama.

Nevertheless, active live-schedule did not prevent the studio activities of the band: apart from recording an album the band had been actively working with national and western dark and electro scene musicians for the remixes and the joint projects. Some of this collaboration is represented in a debut album, other are just about to be released in 2006: the forthcoming Russian dark-scene compilation Colours of Black II, for instance.

In December 2005 band took part in the international effort Anti-Lado World - a collection of cover-versions and remixes of the compositions by legendary Russian band Moon Far Away. Magnificent remix of Requiem for FM opens this brilliant CD.